Marco Rubio hosts 65-country summit targeting far-left extremist groups

The Trump administration is convening officials from nearly 65 countries on Thursday to form an international coalition against violent far-left groups, arguing that these organizations have become a leading transnational terrorist threat.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host representatives from foreign delegations for discussions focused on expanding intelligence sharing, law enforcement cooperation and other international efforts to counter what administration officials increasingly describe as a transnational network of violent far-left organizations.

The ministerial meeting was the culmination of an eight-month diplomatic effort to convince foreign governments that violent far-left networks have become a growing cross-border threat that requires greater international coordination, administration officials said.

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The initiative comes as some analysts and foreign officials question whether violent far-left groups pose a consistent international terrorist threat comparable to Islamic extremist organizations. Others have expressed concerns that governments could use such initiatives to target political opponents under the banner of fighting terrorism.

Administration officials dismissed those concerns Wednesday, arguing that the effort was narrowly focused on crime and terrorist violence rather than political beliefs.

“We did not try to clarify people’s beliefs and ideologies,” a senior State Department official told reporters. “In America, you can believe whatever you want. Once you cross the legal threshold, that changes.”

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Officials argue that governments have spent much of the past two decades focusing on jihadist terrorism but have underestimated the resurgence of politically motivated violence from far-left extremist networks operating beyond self-defined borders.

“Frankly, this has been a blind spot for many of our partners. They haven’t seen these trends since the 1970s,” the senior State Department official said. he said. “Our partners have talked to us about the rise of assassinations or assassination plots.”

Burning cars after attackers threw firebombs at three residential buildings linked to Greece’s ruling party in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on July 1, 2026. (Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters)

Administration officials noted a series of recent attacks in Europe, arguing that they underscored the need for greater international cooperation.

On July 1, coordinated firebomb attacks on the homes of members of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party in Thessaloniki killed the mother of parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora and injured four others. Greek counter-terrorism police later arrested three suspects.

In January, an arson attack on a power transmission facility in Berlin, Germany, cut off electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. German authorities later handed over the investigation into his suspected involvement in the terrorist organization to the federal prosecutor.

The meeting builds on a series of actions the administration has taken since late 2025, including designating four foreign far-left organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists and offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of their financial networks.

Rubio is expected to argue that violent far-left groups are increasingly operating across borders, sharing tactics, coordinating attacks and exploiting international conflicts to recruit followers, necessitating greater cooperation between governments to eliminate the threat.

Protest Marks Second Anniversary of Tragic 2023 Train Collision Clashes broke out between protesters and riot police during a demonstration commemorating the second anniversary of the 2023 train collision that killed 57 people in Athens, Greece, on February 28, 2025. (Dimitris Lampropoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are also expected to speak at the ministry meeting, which will include discussions on the global threat environment, terrorist financing, intelligence sharing and protection of critical infrastructure.

Officials also disputed reports that foreign partners were reluctant to participate, saying many governments had approached the United States about joining the initiative after noticing similar trends within their own borders.

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“We’ve had countries reach out to us and want to be a part of this,” the senior State Department official said.

The four organizations identified by the administration in November were Antifa Ost, Unofficial Anarchist Federation/Revolutionary Front International (FAI/FRI), Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense. The administration said groups operating in Germany, Italy and Greece were coordinating violent attacks across national borders.